“Passing tougher laws to help prevent gun violence remains a high priority for President Obama, the White House said Thursday after reports of a mass shooting resulting in multiple casualties.

“The issue of sensible steps that can be taken to protect our communities from gun violence continues to be a top priority of this administration,” press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.

Up to 10 people were killed at shooting at a community college in Oregon, according to reports.

The spokesman did not say whether Obama had been briefed on the shooting. News of the shooting broke in the middle of Earnest’s daily press briefing.

Earnest said the “vast majority of Americans” support stricter gun laws, including closing the so-called gun-show loophole. But he said Obama is “realistic” about the dim prospects of congressional action on gun control.

“The president has been quite candid about how this is and has been a source of frustration for him,” he said.

“It has at all not been lowered at all on the priority scale, but at the same time the president is realistic that we’ll need to see a fundamental change” about how the public presses for action.”